Dateline Dayton – Early yesterday morning at my favorite gas station, I was purchasing a snack for work. Nearby I heard a woman yelling at her kids. There was only one child. The way she was hollering, I thought there might be several.

I went inside to pay for me purchase. I couldn’t wait to get out of there. The mother bellowed repeatedly at the poor child, threatening to severely whip him.

Another example of why I constantly say, we need licensing before having children. This boy was not trained at home. His mother was clueless about how to manage him.

One licensing requirement would be training, not just for the mother but for all caregivers.

I remain amazed when both parents are out with a child and the mother has to take the son to the bathroom. The father should shepherd his son to the restroom.

Why does the woman always have to hold the child while eating, especial if the male is finished? Just a lack of upbringing, which might be instilled in him by licensing education.

On Sunday a young lady was in the church pew in front of me, with two boys very close in age. She was totally prepared, having food, water and items to keep them occupied during the service.

Two rows away another young lady with two children, including a well-behaved boy old enough to know what was going on.

Her second child was small, not a baby, but one who wanted his way. She had to hold him during the service. She was struggling most of the time. Very distracting, at least for me. I wondered where the father was, or was. A caregiver could have taken over for an hour.

The father might have been working. Possibly there was no man in the house.

I give the young lady credit for coming to church. Many don’t make an effort to attend.

Until our children were old enough to understand what was taking place, we seldom took them to church. We always tried to work a schedule that allowed each of us to attend. One church we attended had a babysitting service.

What Difference Does It Make?

As you know, I’m not much of a fan of professional sports. They send the wrong signal to our youth. The other day I heard about a professional football player who just signed a $52 million contract. He tested positive for drugs and will be forced to sit out a number of games.

Even if his pay is docked, what difference is it going to make?

If professional players were required to renegotiate their contracts, taking a substantial pay cut after such an incident, that might get their attention.

Mr. Hennessey may be contacted at pmhenn@sbcglobal.net